The synagogue of Kibbutz Ketura plays a central role in our communal life.
Kibbutz Ketura is a cooperative community; a green oasis located in the southern Arava valley, between the golden Negev mountains in the west and the reddish-purple Edom mountains in the east, some 50 kilometers/31 miles north of Eilat . According to the cooperative values of our kibbutz, we share all our assets and income, work together as a community, and make all major decisions as a community.
Ketura is a traditional, egalitarian, and pluralistic kibbutz, home to observant and non-observant members, each living according to his or her own beliefs. Shabbat and the Jewish dietary laws are observed in the public areas (the dining hall, members lounge, community center, pool, etc.) and at formal kibbutz activities, but members are free to do as they please in their own homes. Holidays and festivals are celebrated in a traditional fashion, and members and guests maintain a synagogue congregation. Synagogue services on Ketura include the full participation of women in all aspects and a fairly traditional liturgy. Although we do not officially belong to any one stream of Judaism, we are affiliated with the Conservative Movement, and our synagogue service is similar to prayer services in other Conservative congregations.
Our synagogue reflects the central values of the kibbutz as a whole, and serves as one of the ways in which those values are expressed in our daily lives. In the visit to our synagogue, visitors meet one of the members of the community, learn about the unique character of our religious life , and are invited to ask questions in the spirit of open inquiry which infuses all aspects of the kibbutz experience.
The tour’s duration is 1 hours, and it takes place in Kibbutz Ketura..
